Posted on 03/23/2008 11:36:40 PM PDT by nw_arizona_granny
Americans finding soaring food prices hard to stomach can battle back by growing their own food. [Click image for a larger version] Dean Fosdick Dean Fosdick
Home vegetable gardens appear to be booming as a result of the twin movements to eat local and pinch pennies.
At the Southeastern Flower Show in Atlanta this winter, D. Landreth Seed Co. of New Freedom, Pa., sold three to four times more seed packets than last year, says Barb Melera, president. "This is the first time I've ever heard people say, 'I can grow this more cheaply than I can buy it in the supermarket.' That's a 180-degree turn from the norm."
Roger Doiron, a gardener and fresh-food advocate from Scarborough, Maine, said he turned $85 worth of seeds into more than six months of vegetables for his family of five.
A year later, he says, the family still had "several quarts of tomato sauce, bags of mixed vegetables and ice-cube trays of pesto in the freezer; 20 heads of garlic, a five-gallon crock of sauerkraut, more homegrown hot-pepper sauce than one family could comfortably eat in a year and three sorts of squash, which we make into soups, stews and bread."
[snipped]
She compares the current period of market uncertainty with that of the early- to mid-20th century when the concept of victory gardens became popular.
"A lot of companies during the world wars and the Great Depression era encouraged vegetable gardening as a way of addressing layoffs, reduced wages and such," she says. "Some companies, like U.S. Steel, made gardens available at the workplace. Railroads provided easements they'd rent to employees and others for gardening."
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
Hello. Class out early today. I’m catching up with the thread. :)
Good, glad someone is.
But look out, I found several sources for posts this morning that should prove interesting, will dig in and see what we want, that they know.
I know some of the posts this morning were a wee bit odd, LOL, I went into the early posts of a Y2K group, there is a lot of bits and pieces in their posts, as they began to learn about stocking up.
Y2K, to my way of thinking, is one of the best things that has ever went by, thankfully not as many feared it would, but as an educational tool for the masses.
Just as this food scare will do, suddenly, people are aware that they are only a paycheck away from going hungry.
I find new folks every place, waking up and asking questions.
Spiced Apple Syrup
2 cups extracted apple juice (see below)
2 cinnamon sticks, broken into pieces
4 allspice berries
2 thin slices peeled gingerroot
5 cups sugar
4 cups water
3 cups light brown sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
To extract apple juice see below.
Tie the cinnamon stick pieces, allspice berries and ginger root in muslin of
cheesecloth bag. Place the bag in a saucepan and add the apple juice. Bring to
a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
In a large saucepan, combine sugar and water and heat to 260 degrees F. (use a
candy thermometer here). Then add the apple juice, spice bag and corn syrup,
return to a boil, and cook over high heat for 5 minutes. Remove the spice bag
and stir in the lemon juice just before ladling into jars. Leave 1/4” headspace.
Cover jars and process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes.
TO EXTRACT APPLE JUICE:
Commercially canned and frozen fruit juices are low in pectin, so they can only
be used in recipes thickened with added pectin. For recipes without added
pectin, you must extract your own fresh juice from a high pectin fruit (like
apples)
For each cup of juice you want, select 1/4 pound of under ripe fruit and 1/4
pound of ripe fruit. Wash the fruit thoroughly, do not bother to peel or core
fruit such as apples; much of the pectin you are after is in these portions.
Just cut them up a bit (we use the peels and cores left over from making
applesauce) and cover them with water. Bring this mixture to a gentle simmer
over low heat, stirring constantly. Firm fruits like apples will need about 20
minutes.
To separate fruit from juice, moisten a jelly bag or large piece of cheesecloth
over a strainer and pour entire contents into bag (allowing it to drain a bit if
it all won’t go through at once). DO NOT SQUEEZE BAG, this will cause your syrup
to be cloudy.
Submitted by: Darlene
Corn Syrup
6 corn cobs from fresh corn - water to cover
1/8 tsp powdered alum (optional)
1/8 tsp vanilla
2 c sugar
Cut off the grains from six ears of fresh corn. (Use the grains for buttered
corn.) Break the cobs into pieces and put them in a kettle with water to cover.
Boil for 45 minutes. Remove the cobs; save and measure the water. Use 1/2 cup of
this corncob juice for each 2 cups of sugar.
Place in a smaller saucepan and boil down until it reaches the thickness of corn
syrup. It will thicken some as it cools so be careful and don’t overcook it.
Stir only to dissolve sugar at start. Add vanilla (and powdered alum, if
desired, to keep it from forming crystals). Stir to mix; strain through a thin
soft cloth while it is hot.
Makes 2 cups
Note: This syrup has a smooth, delicate corn syrup flavor and should not
crystallize. If you should cook it too much, thin with a little boiling water.
In canning this you leave a 1/4” headspace.
(Can be processed in water bath for 10 minutes at 0 - 1000 ft, 15 minutes at
1001 - 6000 ft., and 20 minutes above 6000 ft.)
Submitted by: Darlene
Grenadine
2 Pomegranates - large
2 1/2 c Sugar
1/2 c Water
When choosing pomegranates, reject any with a brownish area on the blossom end;
such discoloration indicates the beginning of spoilage and off flavor.
Cut pomegranates open crosswise and pry out the fleshy crimson seeds (the red
part is actually the pulpy envelope around a seed), using the tip of a blunt
knife. Be careful not to include any fragments of the cottony white pulp in
which the seeds are embedded, as it is bitter. You should have about two cups of
seeds.
Using a food processor or blender, chop the seeds with the sugar and water just
long enough to make a rough puree. Don’t attempt to make a smooth mixture; it’s
necessary only to break open the pulpy membranes.
Pour the puree into an earthenware or glass bowl; cover it with a cloth. Let
stand at room temperature for 3 days, stirring it daily. If the weather is
extremely hot, refrigerate the puree after 24 hours.
Line a sieve with dampened, very fine nylon net or two layers of dampened fine
cheesecloth and set it over a saucepan of stainless steel or other nonreactive
material. Filter the pomegranate syrup into the pot, allowing it to drip without
pressing on the pulp. This will take a few hours; you can speed matters up by
tying the cheesecloth lining of the sieve into a bag and suspending it above the
pot after the initial flow of juice has slowed down. When all the juice has
dripped through, discard the seedy pulp.
Bring the syrup to a bare simmer (180 degrees F.) over medium low heat, then
reduce the heat to very low and scald the syrup, using a candy / jelly
thermometer and watching to be sure you keep the temperature below 200 degrees
F., for 3 minutes.
Skim off any foam, then funnel the syrup into a sterilized, dry bottle. Let the
syrup cool, then cap or cork the bottle (use a new cork only) and store it in
the refrigerator.
To seal the syrup for pantry storage, funnel it into hot, clean half pint
canning jars leaving a 1/4” headspace. Seal with new two piece canning lids
according to manufacturer’s directions. Following the method for a boiling water
bath, but keeping the water at simmering temperature (190 degrees F.), process
the jars for 15 minutes. Cool, label, and store.
Yield: About 2 cups
NOTE: Keeps in either the refrigerator or, after canning, in the pantry for up
to a year.
Submitted by: Darlene
My sister, my sister mind you, has started their own supply room. You coulda knocked me over with a feather when she told me.
She used to rib me to no end for having one. I used to tell her right back...better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
She finally listened to her little sister. lol
Here in the Florida Keys we are told by the County Extension that
mosquitoes
will hatch in 3 days, and they do, after a rain. Our guidelines also
say to
flush out with a hose, any plants like bromeliads with cupping
on
their leaves, or any containers which hold standing water, every 3 days
to
prevent mosquitoes. Yes, the eggs are there, waiting! V.
Certain species of mosquitos will lay their eggs on soil that has a
particular smell to it that identifies it as an area that will hold
pooling water for a long enough period of time for their larva to
complete their cycles, pupate and take flight. They will even lay
their
eggs on that soil when it is totally dry.
Mosquito eggs can remain dormant, in dry soil, for as long as 7 years,
in
some cases longer than that.
The key to determining if an area will breed mosquitos is how long the
water will remain standing after a rain, 7 days at 80 degrees is
sufficient to bring a brood off the water, and if there is sufficient
decomposing material in the water to feed the mosquito larvae.
Oh.. the smell.... have you ever smelled grass that is decaying in
water?
That is the smell.. very distinct... Though quite subtle if it’s an
expanse of lawn that is currently dry but pools after large rains.
Avoiding the ‘spray’ of mown grass on the containers, so that it
doesn’t
get into the reservoirs of the SWCs will help immensely in keeping
them
from becoming mosquito nurseries.
T
Five years with Metro Mosquito Control
She used to rib me to no end for having one. I used to tell her right back...better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.<<<
How true, it is only ‘hind’ sight that is clear.
I can still hear my husband in 1973, saying to me “Will you take me to the hospital, I think I am having a heart attack?”
It was 2 years before he could work again, he had a ruptured heart.
I found it interesting in the next year or so after Y2K, as I followed some of the prep lists that I read and watched how many said “Thanks to God, I stored and was ready for Y2K, so we will get through this with food...”
Some lost jobs, got ill, had all kinds of things happen and it was only the ones who had stockpiled 400 and yes 800 pounds of beans for a family that did not eat dried beans, that complained.
I know that when I first got sick and quit work, until I could sell my place, I lived on a friends old Mormon supplies, that she gave me to feed the wild animals, as they were too old.....LOL, not when you are hungry.
That is how I learned that I liked whole wheat, cooked as rice or macaroni, makes an excellent macaroni salad.
I never dreamed that I would like dehydrated spinach, LOL, I do and have since dehydrated it my self and should still have a new can I bought for storage.
I will get back to cooking, somehow, if for no other reason than so I can order a few things that I really want from Walton’s, like their oatmeal and lentils ...LOL, lentils is another thing that I did not ‘like’ for a lifetime.........do now.
I do not attempt to guess what the next disaster will be, but have no doubt there is one out there lurking.....
No, my family will not ever be smart enough to store food.
Trade Salt for Herbs and Spices
Next time you reach for the salt shaker, try using some of these
flavorful herbs and spices instead.
They’ll give your food a whole new kick, and they won’t hurt your
heart.
Trade Salt for Herbs and Spices
Basil: Use in soups, salads, vegetables, fish, and meats.
Cinnamon: Use in salads, vegetables, breads, and snacks.
Chile Powder: Use in soups, salads, vegetables, and fish.
Cloves: Use in soups, salads, and vegetables.
Dill Weed and Dill Seed: Use in fish, soups, salads, and vegetables.
Ginger: Use in soups, salads, vegetables, and meats.
Marjoram: Use in soups, salads, vegetables, beef, fish, and chicken.
Nutmeg: Use in vegetables, meats, and snacks.
Oregano: Use in soups, salads, vegetables, meats, and chicken.
Parsley: Use in salads, vegetables, fish, and meats.
Rosemary: Use in salads, vegetables, fish, and meats.
Sage: Use in soups, salads, vegetables, meats, and chicken.
Thyme: U se in salads, vegetables, fish, and chicken.
** Note: To start, use small amounts of these herbs and spices
to see if you like them.
Pasta Shapes
When making delicious pasta dishes, be sure to choose a pasta shape and
sauce that complement each other. Thin, delicate pastas like angel
hair or thin spaghetti, should be served with light, thin sauces. Thicker
pasta shapes, like fettuccine, work well with heavier sauces. Pasta
shapes with holes or ridges like mostaccioli or radiatore, are perfect for
chunkier sauces.
Acini di Pepe (“Peppercorn”) – Acini di Pepe is perfect to use in soup
recipes. These shapes are ideal to include in broths.
Alphabet Pasta:
This favorite kids’ shape is usually used in soups for a fun meal
anytime.
Anellini - Tiny rings of pasta. Anellini is a smaller version of Anelli
pasta. It is used in various soups and is also a compliment to a
number of salads.
Angel Hair, Capellini (“Fine Hairs”) – These thin, delicate pasta
strands are best if used with thinner, delicate sauces. Other uses: break in
half and put in soup; use in salads or stir-fry meals.
Bow Ties, Farfalle (“Butterflies”) – Bow Ties brighten any meal with
their interesting shape. Thick enough for a variety of sauces, or a
perfect addition to a number of salad or soup recipes.
Buctani - Thick Spaghetti shaped pasta that is hollow in the center,
similar to a thin straw. Bucatini is the perfect choice for nearly any
sauce, or it can be used to make casseroles or stir-fry dishes. Go beyond
tomato sauce and see what your favorite becomes.
Campanelle (“Bells”) – Campanelle pasta resembles a small cone with a
ruffled edge. Pair Campanelle pasta with meat, cream, vegetable or oil
based sauces. Also, these shapes are great when used in pasta salads.
Cappelletti – Cappelletti pasta is folded and then twisted to form the
shape of a small hat. On occasion, this pasta is sometimes referred to
as an alpine hat.
Casarecce - Casarecce pasta is shaped like a very narrow, twisted and
rolled tube. This pasta is best used when serving a meat sauce and can
be used in a variety of casserole dishes.
Cavatappi (“Corkscrew”) - The tight spiral locks-in the flavor
allowing the shape to pair with both simple and sophisticated sauces. Pair
Cavatappi with meat, cream, vegetable or oil based sauces. Also, these
shapes are great when used in pasta salads.
Cavatelli – Cavatelli resemble tiny hot dog buns. These shapes are
commonly served with thick, chunky sauces or in pasta salads. Cavatelli
pairs nicely with meat, cream, seafood or vegetable sauces.
Ditalini (“Little Thimbles”) – This versatile shape can be used as the
base of any dish. Bake it, stir it into soups, or create great salads
and stir-fry dishes.
Egg Noodles (Medium) - (From “Nudel,” German meaning paste with egg) –
This size of Egg Noodle can be baked, tossed in soups or salads, or
topped with cream, tomato, cheese or meat sauces.
Egg Noodles (Wide) – (From “Nudel,” German meaning paste with egg) – Go
beyond the traditional Stroganoff and use, Wide Egg Noodles to create
soups, salads and casseroles. Or, top with a variety of sauces.
Elbow Macaroni – A highly versatile shape that can be topped with any
sauce, baked, or put in soups, salads and stir-fry dishes. Elbow
Macaroni is traditionally used to make Macaroni and Cheese.
Farfalline – Farfalline is s small version of the bow tie or butterfly
shaped pasta. This versatile shape can be used as the base of any dish.
Bake it, stir it into soups, or create great salads and stir-fry
dishes.
Fideo – Short thin strands of pasta that are slightly curved. Fideo
pasta is commonly used in various soup recipes.
Fusilli (“Twisted Spaghetti”) – This long, spiraled shape can be topped
with any sauce, broken in half and added to soups, or turned into a
beautiful salad. Fusilli also bakes well in casseroles.
Gemili (“Twins”) - Add a touch of style to any dish with this
distinctive shape. Gemeilli pairs nicely with meat, cream, seafood and vegetable
sauces.
Gigli (“Lilies”)– Gigli is a fluted edge piece of pasta that has been
rolled into a cone shaped flower. Gigli is perfect for heavier sauces,
like cheese, meat and tomato or it is a perfect addition to a number of
casseroles.
Jumbo Shells – Best when stuffed with your favorite mixtures of cheese,
meat and vegetables. Stuff with meat flavored with taco seasoning, top
with salsa and bake for a delicious Mexican dish, or create your own
stuffed treat.
Lasagna (From “lasanum,” Latin for pot) – Create original Lasagna
casseroles by using chopped vegetables, cheeses and any kind of sauce. You
can also assemble your casserole and freeze it for later meal.
Linguine (“Little Tongues”) - A great shape to compliment a variety
of sauces. Also a good choice for salads and stir-fry dishes.
Macaroni (“Dumpling”) – A highly versatile shape that can be topped
with any sauce, baked, or put in soups, salads and stir-fry dishes.
Manicotti (“Small Muffs”) – Stuff Manicotti with a mixture of meat,
cheese and vegetables, top with your favorite sauce, and bake.
Medium Shells, Conchiglie – (“Shells”) Shells make a great addition to
soups or as the base of a wonderful salad. Try remaking your favorite
Macaroni and Cheese using Shells, for a fun twist on a time-honored
tradition.
Orecchiette (“Little Ears”) – These “little ears” are commonly served
with thick, chunky sauces or in pasta salads.
Orzo (“Barley”) – This small, grain shaped pasta can be topped with any
sauce, added to soups, or baked as a casserole. Perfect as a side dish
as well as a main course.
Penne, Mostaccioli (“Quills” and “Small Mustaches”) – This tubular
pasta compliments a variety of sauces, is frequently used in salads, baked
in casseroles, or made into stir fry dishes.
Penne (“Quills” or “Feathers”) – Penne compliment virtually every
sauce and are exceptional when paired with a chunky sauce. Penne pairs
nicely with chunky meat, chunky vegetable, cream, or oil based sauces.
Also, these shapes are great for baking dishes.
Penne Rigate (“Quills” or “Feathers”)- Penne compliment virtually every
sauce and are exceptional when paired with a chunky sauce. Penne
Rigate are ridged and ideal to lock-in flavor. Penne Rigate pairs nicely
with chunky meat, chunky vegetable, cream, or oil based sauces. Also,
these shapes are great for baking dishes.
Pipe Rigate - A hollow curved pasta that resembles a snail shell. This
shape has a wide opening at one end and the other end is flattened.
Pipe Rigate pairs nicely with chunky meat, chunky vegetable, cream, or oil
based sauces.
Pipette Rigate – This shape is a smaller version of Pipe Rigate.
Pipette Rigate pairs nicely with chunky meat, chunky vegetable, cream, or oil
based sauces. Also, these shapes are great for baking dishes.
Radiatori (“Radiators”) – This ruffled, ridged shape adds elegance to
any sauce. It also works well baked in casseroles, or used in salads
and soups.
Ravioli - Ravioli are square round pillows of pasta that have a filling
consisting of ingredients such as cheese, meats, vegetables and
seasonings. Ravioli can be served with a red sauce or it can be served with
butter, oil or cream.
Reginette – Reginette is wide, flat ribbon pasta that has rippled edges
on both sides. This shape is similar to Lasagna.
Riccioli (“Curl”) -Riccioli’s twisted shape holds bits of meat,
vegetables and cheese, so it works well with a variety of sauces, or you can
use it to create fun salads, baked casseroles, or stir-fry meals.
Rigatoni (“Large Grooved”) - Rigatoni’s ridges and holes are perfect
with any sauce, from cream or cheese to the chunkiest meat sauces.
Rocchetti (“Spool”) – This short pasta is perfect for preparing
casseroles and salads.
Rotelle (“Little Wheels”) -The cartwheel is not a classic Italian
shape, but due to the variety of color and entertaining shape they are crowd
favorite. Because the spokes of the wheels are good for capturing
flavor, these shapes are easy to pair. Rotelle pasta pairs nicely with
meat, cream, seafood or vegetable sauces.
Rotini (“Spirals” or “Twists”) – Rotini’s twisted shape holds bits of
meat, vegetables and cheese, so it works well with any sauce, or you can
use it to create fun salads, baked casseroles, or stir-fry meals.
Small Shells - Shells make a great addition to soups or as the base of
a wonderful salad. Try remaking your favorite Macaroni and Cheese using
Shells, for a fun twist on a time-honored tradition.
Spaghetti – (“A length of Cord”) America’s favorite shape, Spaghetti is
the perfect choice for nearly any sauce, or it can be used to make
casseroles or stir-fry dishes. Go beyond tomato sauce and see what your
favorite becomes.
Thin Spaghetti – Thin Spaghetti is very similar to Vermicelli. Each one
is slightly thinner than Spaghetti. Thin Spaghetti is perfect topped
with any sauce, or as a salad or stir-fry ingredient.
Tortellini – Tortellini is a ring-shaped pasta typically stuffed with
meat, cheese or vegetables. Tortellini is commonly served in a broth or
cream sauce.
Tortiglioni – Tortiglioni is narrow, tubular pasta. This shape is
commonly used to add decoration to salads or paired with a simple sauce.
Tripolini – Tripolini is a tiny bow tie shaped pasta used in soups and
salads or paired with a simple sauce.
Tubini - A medium-sized, tubular pasta shape, Tubini is perfect for
chunky sauces and meat dishes. It also makes wonderful salads, baked
dishes and stir-fry meals.
Vermicelli – (“Little Worms”) Slightly thinner than Spaghetti,
Vermicelli is good topped with any sauce, or as a salad or stir-fry ingredient.
Wagon Wheels, Ruote (“Wheels”) – Wagon Wheels make interesting salads,
casseroles and stir-fry dishes. Add to soups, or simply top with sauce
and enjoy.
Ziti (“Bridegrooms”) – A medium-sized, tubular pasta shape, Ziti is
perfect for chunky sauces and meat dishes. It also makes wonderful salads,
baked dishes and stir-fry meals
I agree. When Rita us, we fell back on our supplies. The one problem we had was no water. We didn't buy enough of it. (we know better now)
The Sheriffs office used to deliver to us ice and water every couple of days. They knew we had a disabled child here. No gas stations were open so we had to conserve what gas we had.
It was 2 years before he could work again, he had a ruptured heart.
When hubby had his series of heart attacks before his stint operation, he was out of work for only two to three weeks. I couldn't imagine him out of work for two years.
It must have been very hard on y'all.
I never dreamed that I would like dehydrated spinach, LOL, I do and have since dehydrated it my self and should still have a new can I bought for storage.
Our storage is full of dehydrated food. With the right seasoning, they are pretty good.
ones who had stockpiled 400 and yes 800 pounds of beans for a family that did not eat dried beans, that complained.
We love beans here, could eat them everyday. We have hundreds of pounds. From red beans, large and small limas, black eyed peas to great northern and any type of bean I didn't mention. Ours will never go to waste. Although hubby may catch hell from me - gas, that man can float the sheets when he eats beans. LOLOL
I don't care for lentil's though I should. I believe they are the most nutritious there is.
I do not attempt to guess what the next disaster will be, but have no doubt there is one out there lurking.....
I agree. We're as ready as humanly possible.
Alcohol Substitutions In Cooking
Amaretto
Almond extract. (Substitute 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. almond extract for 2 tbsp.
Amaretto.)
=
Brandy
Water, white grape juice, apple cider or apple juice, diluted peach or
apricot syrups. (Substitute equal amounts of liquid.)
=
Champagne
use ginger ale.
=
Cointreau
orange juice or frozen orange juice concentrate.
=
Cognac
juice from peaches, apricots, or pears.
=
Crème de menthe
Spearmint extract or oil of spearmint diluted with a little water or
grapefruit juice.
=
Dry Red Wine
Red grape juice or cranberry juice. Also may substitute chicken, beef
or
vegetable broth, clam juice, and fruit juices. (Substitute equal amount
of liquid.)
=
Grand Marnier or Orange-Flavored Liqueur Unsweetened orange juice
concentrate or orange juice. (Substitute 2 tbsp. unsweetened orange
juice concentrate or 2 tbsp. orange juice and 1/2 tsp. orange extract
for 2 tbsp. Grand Marnier.)
=
Kahlua
Coffee or chocolate-flavored liqueur. (Substitute 1/2 - 1 tsp.
chocolate
extract or substitute 1/2 - 1 tsp. instant coffee in 2 tbsp. water for
2
tbsp. Kahlua.)
=
Kirsch
Syrup or juices from cherries, raspberries, boysenberries, currants, or
cider. (Substitute equal amounts of liquid.)
=
Port Wine, Sweet Sherry, or Fruit-Flavored Liqueur Orange juice or
apple
juice. (Substitute equal amount of liquid.)
=
Rum (light or dark)
Water, white grape juice, pineapple juice, apple juice or apple cider,
or syrup flavored with almond extract. (Substitute equal amounts of
liquid.)
=
Sherry or Bourbon
Orange or pineapple juices, peach syrup, or vanilla extract.
(Substitute
equal amount of liquid + 1 - 2 tsp. vanilla extract.)
=
Sweet White Wine
White grape juice plus 1 tbsp. Karo corn syrup. (Substitute equal
amount
of liquid.)
To Substitute in Soups, Stews, and Entrees Dry (unsweetened)
=
Red Wine
Water, beef broth, bouillon, liquid drained from canned vegetables,
tomato juice or from cooking fresh vegetables.
=
Dry (unsweetened) White Wine
Water, chicken broth, bouillon, liquid drained from canned vegetables,
tomato juice or from cooking fresh vegetables, ginger ale, white grape
juice.
Heating with hot rocks
Other than candles, lamps, and camp stoves (which you should always use carefully and with adequate ventilation), never have an open flame in the house. But that doesn’t mean you can’t build a fire outside and bring the heat back in. One of the best ways to do this is heating up rocks. Just build a roaring fire and drop a quantity of bricks or football sized rocks in it until they turn red hot, then carry them back into the house in a stainless steel bucket or big, non-coated, cooking pot. Avoid aluminum as it tends to burn through rather quickly. And always get the rocks from a high, dry area - never from a place where they may have absorbed moisture, as this can cause them to explode when heated.
Carry the bucket very carefully to avoid getting burned, perhaps running a stout pole or broomstick through the handle for two person transport. Then place it on a non-combustible insulated platform such as a baking pan or an oven rack supported by bricks. A two gallon bucket of hot rocks will heat an average sized room for hours. When the rocks have cooled off enough to touch, they can then be tucked beneath blankets to help provide a warm bed and sleeping area.
If your shelter is outside on warm ground, you can dig a trench beneath the bedding area and line it with hot rocks. Then refill the trench with dirt, allow the moisture to evaporate, and put your bedding over the top.
Hot rocks can also be used for cooking. Just plunk a small hot rock in a kettle of water and watch it boil. Outside you van dig a pit in the ground and line it with hot rocks, thus creating an oven.
I don’t care for lentil’s though I should. I believe they are the most nutritious there is.<<<
When I cook the lentils, as I do beans, all the herbs and a hot pepper, they are good.
For gas causing in beans, I have always put a half teaspoon of baking soda in mine and have read that ginger cooked in the beans helps also.
Ginger is a new herb for me to use in beans and such, as I recall in the past, I did use it in baking.
Sometimes, if you watch the fresh ginger in the store, you will find one of the roots ready to grow, it makes a nice house plant, or LOL, out of the desert it might even grow in the yard.
One does what they can and gets by, I think that survival is more in the head, than the storage area.
If one has a few clues on how to mix and substitute the different items, they will survive.
I have a fine granddaughter, a good mother, but to talk to her about food, is to talk brand names. She knows of no other way to cook...........LOL, but one of these days she will catch on, as sometimes she calls and asks questions.
I am so glad that you and many other Freepers are prepared for what is going to come, as it surely will, has before and will again.
Stay safe.
Meals, Buckets and Cache
By GS
Individual Meals
The first thing we will cover, is homemade survival meals. This meal
should be made now, as time has run out. We can still order, and
still have deliveries, but we should plan on them quitting anytime,
and the chores still have to be done.
If you can order more food, do so, if not, then pay attention to this
quick way to build meals, that will keep you from starving.
I developed these meals, when I was doing major time in the
wilderness, and had to cover many miles, and utilize many hours of
daylight, for my work. Not having much time for meals these meals
were developed to sustain and supplement with wild meat when
available.
I dried my own veggies, in a commercial food dryer, and cured most of
my own meat in a smoker I had made. I practiced meat drying for ease
of storing, persevering, and maintaining the protein within the meat
itself.
Here is what you will need to start making your own MRE’s,
(1) vacuum seal a mealer ( go with quality, and figure about 200$ to
get one)
(*) Plenty of seal a meal bags, start with the pints, first, until
you get good enough
sealer. The bags can become expensive, so you will have to pay
attention to
detail and not make mistakes.
(*) Dried veggies, cut in small pieces, and when drying, dry an extra
4 hours to en-
sure that all the moisture is out of veggies.
(*) Bullion cubes, ( place two cubes in each meal)
(*) 25# of rice and barley
When I started making these meals, it worked out about 18 cents
apiece, I think now they would be little higher, but still very cheap
to make in mass. When sealing the open end, I always doubled the seal
to insure they did not leak. You have to be gentle when packing these
meals, so they do not loose there seal, but once packed, they last a
long, long time.........
Now if you can’t dry the veggies, you can go to health food stores,
and large chain stores such as Albertson, Winco, etc,... and they
have bulk foods, and you will find the veggies there already dried
ready to be used.
With a pint size vacuum seal a meal bag, I place 1/2 cup of rice and
barley in bags, add 1/3 cup of dried veggies and two bullion cubes
and seal. There is your meal, already to go, with 20 minutes of
cooking you have enough to stave hunger, and you can throw in some
squirrel meat, or fish to get more protein. I always pack my dried
meat in another package to ensure nothing went bad. With these
individual meals, you can put about 45 meals in one 5 gallon plastic
bucket. That could be one persons food for about 20 days and it would
weight in about 4 pounds.
I myself have broken down my foods and resealed them in vacuum seal a
meal bags, for several major reasons, one, is like supplies you do
not want all of them at one place, same with food, if you had 10 1/2
# bags of sugar, instead of 1 pound container, you are less likely to
spoil, or loose all 5 #.
You can very quickly put together a pack full of food that will pack
well, not spill, or get damaged. I can put 25 meals into my ruck and
head out........with #10 cans, you will have to take care in moving
them without them being spilt. Remember you will have animals
smelling and tracking you. In say 5 minutes you could issue 2 buckets
to each person in your group and head out. You can combine these
individual meals into one big stew, but there is more positive to
making these meals that there is not. And trust me, if you have to
get into these meals, or buckets, you will most likely be very happy
to each rice and veggies.
Survival Bucket
I had developed the survival bucket or cache bucket in the late 80’
working in the field and wilderness of the pacific northwest.
Something I have realized, in developing these buckets is they can be
used for anything, last a long time, weather proof, can be sealed
tightly, and successfully stored in two positions, right side up and
upside down, which will be covered in depth later in this essay.
First you want to find a source of free or cheap buckets with lids.
Most chain stores who have bakery’s can furnish you these buckets on
a regular bases. Some might want to charge a little, but that is okay
as well. You want to make sure they have no holes in them, a lid with
a rubber seal, and a good handle for carrying. Wash out bucket with
hot, hot steaming water with lots of soap. Most of these buckets held
frosting, so you need to get the smell out as much as possible, to
keep bears from digging these valuable contents.
Container distributors are everywhere just check your yellow pages,
and when you buy bulk, it comes much cheaper.
The contents of these buckets can be most anything. I would start
with placing some of these homemade meals in these buckets, and also
put water purification, toilet paper, and matches to make sure there
is water, fire and food available.
I have made radio buckets, battery buckets, first aid buckets, toilet
paper buckets, ammo buckets, food buckets,......books buckets ( how
too books) and the list can go on and on.
The one thing you do want to do, and that is evacuate all the air (
oxygen) out of bucket before sealing so as not to cause condensation
which can cause damage to electronic, medical and special gear.
In all my buckets that I have sealed, and will not open again till
needed, I have used an only technique to force all the air out of
bucket. Have on hand, in the freezer some (dried ice), once you have
placed all that you plan on putting in the bucket (as full as you can
get it), place apiece of dried ice in the bottom of the bucket, then
place lid on the bucket, but do not seal just yet. The dried ice will
create a fog that will force out all the air in the buckets, once
that is done then seal bucket on just 4 sides. Wait another day, burp
the lid, and reseal immediately, and the bucket will be sealed and
secure until you need it. Now you can stack, store, bury, or even
place underwater until you need it.
Here is some ideas when you build these buckets, first of all paint
them something earthy, anything but white. Also scrub the buckets
before painting, with ammonia to neutralize the smell of humans and
or frosting then paint.
I would also urge all to make an inventory of what you have placed in
buckets and mark them so you will know what is inside without having
to break the seal to the bucket.
You might want to rub some Vaseline petroleum jell on the rubber
gaskets in the lids. Replace any that is broken, cut or not whole.
Once you get into the field of bucket preps you will see all the
advantages of exploring this field and becoming involved.
Now think of all that you could do with all the empty buckets you
have now at your base camp................so it has gone from a
container, to now a tool, whether it be for hauling water to the
garden, porty potti, to storing next years food you have preserved
this year.............................
Caching
Cache: to store, hide, keep hidden, when needed, safe for the future
Heck the word cache, means just what it says, doesn’t it. The
pioneers that first set foot in this country, always divided their
supplies and secured them in a cache through out their area of
operation. They did this for the protection of their supplies,
against man and animal (bear), and with out caching their supplies,
it would of taken another 100 years to settle this great land. During
the pioneer day in the lower 48 the caches were usually burdied or
hung in trees, or in caves or in among large rocks, more to have
ready when needed, or resupply their possible bag... and in some
cases when they were overwhelmed within their forts and had to escape
and evade the attackers they could go to there cache, resupply and
escape. In Alaska cache were more to keep the animals out of your
supplies, than it was humans, and so they built their cache 12’ to
15’ above ground.
Cache means an entirely different reason for us in the very near
future than what it meant say 100 years ago. Cache for us will be a
resupply of items and supplies that can not and most likely will not
be able to replace anytime soon.
Here is an outline for what you might want to do, if you was say
burying buckets, and the order in which this should be accomplished.
Further along in this paper, I will also share ideas on where, how,
and when to do this cache effort.
(1) Deciding what you want to cache,
(2) Picking a seal proof container to store your supplies
(3) Utilize your inventory so that not all your cookies are in just
one cache, ie: DO NOT put all of your ammo in one cache, spread it
out among all of the caches.
(4) Figure where you want to put your cache
Not in flood plan
good digging soil would be nice
Plenty of cover and concealment to allow you privacy to dig hole, or
recover gear
coordinate actual placement of cache and camouflage of same.
(5) Actual guidelines for preparing hole.
separate topsoil and place on tarp
removing dirt to accommodate the buckets or things to be cached.
removing displaced dirt from site to attract attention
(6) replacing dirt and top soil and camouflaging site to look
undisturbed
(7) Marking the site of cache in such a way only you and your group
would recognize the sign that a cache is near.
(8) Being able to find cache in all four seasons, day or night.
Now you have filled and recorded all that you put in buckets, you
have evacuated the excess oxygen within the bucket, you have painted
the buckets an earthy color. Now you are ready to bury cache. You
have located the area you want to cache the buckets. Making sure
nobody has seen you move the gear to this site and dug hole, you have
spread a sheet of plastic near intended hole, you very carefully take
off the first 4 inches of top soil in squares and place the top soil
on the plastic and set aside.
Now you dig the hole and all the displaced dirt from hole, you will
place on a sheet of plastic as well.
If you are going to place just a single layer of buckets into the
ground, so you will need to dig hole about 30 inches deep. Place
buckets rightside up in hole very tightly, once you have gotten the
buckets all stacked properly within the hole, you now place another
tarp or sheet of plastic over all the buckets and tuck the excess
plastic along the sides of the hole, to add another layer of
protection upon the buckets. Now you sprinkle ammonia, and bleach all
around the hole and the cache this will remove all the human scent
and not attract all sorts of wild animals,.
You back fill the hole with the dirt you had taken out of the hole,
and placed upon the plastic sheet. once you have done that now you
can place the original top soil back onto the existing hole and make
it look like nothing has been done there. The excess dirt you still
have left on the sheet of plastic, you will now need to remove
approx. 200 yards from where you buried your buckets.
Now I placed the size of print bigger and changed the color to red,
because you need to remember this. From the time you dig hole, till
you fill it in, and remove displayed dirt, HAS to be the shortest
possible time, to evade all the technology that is out there today.
All that is left is to mark it, so you will recognize it when you
return, whether if has been for weeks, months, or even years.
For those who plan on staying in place or within the confines of a
built up area, there are many places to cache. Most man hole covers
within your streets have a crawl space to store many buckets, the
trouble here is, you could only use them after the infrastructure has
failed. Burying in the back yard, I know a couple who have built
there shelter and rootcellar under their homes and barns with
connecting tunnels, with the idea that they will burn down their home
and barn upon them covering up all known exit except for the one they
have planned on using. the exposed pipe from the plumbing of their
house will also serve as a breather piper for them to draw in fresh
air. Anyone coming onto this site, will see there is no need to poke
around because everything above ground has been destroyed.
Many cities and towns, have vast areas already underground and
reinforced. From utility tunnels, to sewer tunnels. You just need to
research these things out, or talk to old timers and you will learn
much.
The only guidance I would give these people is make your caches
small, so if discovered you haven’t given your idea and supplies
away. Always fill in the hole after recovering cache, so as not to
teach the bad guys about this trick.
Here again, the active imagination will come up with cache techniques
that haven’t even been discovered yet.
Now that you have painted the buckets, you did remember to also paint
the bottom and tops, and here is why. I have stored buckets in trees
hung by a rope, in my elk camps,(reason bear), but like animals,
humans in the woods do not normally look up, especially in
mountainous country. So painting them on top and bottom, you have
reduced the chance that somebody might JUST look up and see the white
bottom of a unpainted bucket.
If you do not intentionally evacuate the oxygen out of the buckets,
you can attach a short piece of rope say 3 feet, and weight it down
to sink, throw outfit into 20 feet of water, and your bucket will
ride safely upside down just three feet from the bottom. Here again
if the bottom is painted, even in clear water, the chance of these
buckets being found in unlikely. Take caution here in what you place
in buckets due to the high percentage of condensation due to cold
water. Wisdom is used in situation like this.
My rule is never make a cache bigger than you can carry away when you
leave.
Always cover hole back in, and return site as close as possible to
before you dug it up.
Where I live, there are many old wrecks and old mining equipment in
the mountains, and thanks to the relic and antique act the government
passed years ago, it has been illegal for years to remove from the
woods. So there is plenty of old rear ends or transmissions laying
around, something so big nobody would want to haul it out, but
something that would be there after a forest fire. You need to take
extra care in picking a spot for your cache, as seasonal change and
disasters such as forest fires, flood or landslide, can change the
landscape.
If you have an old wreck in the national forest near you, why not dig
hole next to it, place your buckets in hole, fill up, and use
comealong to pull old wreck over your cache.
Every farm has a dump, and you can bury much under them, and nobody
will bother them, not in the short time left.
I even know a guy who buried his cache deep in the sand traps of his
golf course he lives next too. He knows what hole he needs to go to,
to get something special, good prior planning.
OLD VERTICAL MINE SHAFTS, OLD WELLS, AND CISTERNS
Do not use compass to plot your cache, use natural terrain instead.
The compass will not be reliable in the very near future, because of
pole shifts. Where I live now, the runway azimuth has changed 23
degrees in the 5 years I have lived here. So use landmarks that only
god can move, you can use pace count but learn to not rely on the
compass.
There is a section in Steve Quayle’s website with a downloadable
manual on Cache used by the Special Forces. There is also many other
books on cache, but the best cache is the one not thought of yet.
Something that might happen to you, when you are out scouting
locations for cache. You could very easily stumble upon one not done
correctly by somebody else.
Stay way from grave yards, because many grave yards will be dug up
and looted for the jewelry, when there is no law to stop them.
If you booby trap your cache, remember a booby trap is not prejudice,
they kill anybody.
There are many things you can do to protect something you want to
bury or hid. Just plan on the worse thing happening and you will be
set. If the worse happens you at least planned on it, and made
arrangements to solve problem. Anything less is considered a blessing
from the only true I AM...........
I always soak them overnight then drain the water and refill my pot. Sometimes it works...sometimes his life is easier for it. lol
I'll try the baking soda the next time I cook them, probably Sat. We eat them all the time.
One does what they can and gets by, I think that survival is more in the head, than the storage area.
To us it's a one two kind of thing. It takes both to get by.
I have a fine granddaughter, a good mother, but to talk to her about food, is to talk brand names. She knows of no other way to cook...........LOL,
I was the same way until a few years ago. I finally got wise on the famous brand names, maybe she will as well.
I am so glad that you and many other Freepers are prepared for what is going to come, as it surely will, has before and will again.
I'm also happy many others are starting to realize what it means to be prepared both materially and psychologically.
You stay safe too.
Old Plantation Rolls
Posted by: “Dorie”
INGREDIENTS
1 cup milk
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup cold water
1 egg
2 teaspoons active dry yeast
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from
heat. Mix in the shortening and sugar; stir until melted. Add cold
water and let cool until lukewarm.
Pour milk into a large bowl. Add egg and yeast; mix well. Beat in 3
cups of flour and let stand for 20 minutes.
Sift in baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 cup flour. Stir in the
remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition.
When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly
floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.
Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to
coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place
until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
Divide the dough into twelve equal pieces. Divide each piece in half
and form into 24 rolls. Place the rounds in a lightly greased 9x13
inch baking pans or on lightly greased baking sheets. Cover the rolls
with a damp cloth and let rise until doubled in volume, about 40
minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden.
I understand that the people in N. Korea are many living on grass and a friend who has pen pals in Russia, sent me a letter from her, she was telling him about the hard times before and during WW2 for her grandparents.
One of the things her grandmother fixed was crackers made of grass from the field.
I asked him to ask if there was a recipe, that I want to put it here.
We do not know what it is like in so many areas of the world, even at our worst, I suspect we had it better.
I cannot imagine surviving for years on grass......a day or two, that I might survive.
[I have not kept up with the horse lovers of Free Republic, if you want to ping them to this, it sounds as though we are in for more bad imports....granny]
A ProMED-mail post
http://www.promedmail.org
ProMED-mail is a program of the
International Society for Infectious Diseases
http://www.isid.org
Date: 5 May 2008
Source: The Horse.com, Article 11810 [edited]
http://www.thehorse.com/viewarticle.aspx?id=11810
Horse feed dealers are the key to identifying whether there is a
potential problem with recently purchased Purina feed, according to
Land O’Lakes spokesperson Lydia Botham.
Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC recently announced a recall of certain
horse feed products manufactured at 3 East Coast facilities. The
products might contain an ingredient with an unacceptably high level
of aflatoxin.
Aflatoxins are a form of mycotoxin and are secondary metabolites
produced by _Aspergillus_ spp. fungi. According to Gary Osweiler,
DVM, PhD, professor of veterinary toxicology at Iowa State
University, effects of aflatoxins can be progressive as well as
cumulative. At levels greater than 50 ppb (parts per billion),
aflatoxins can cause signs such as feed refusal, fever, weight loss,
sluggishness, liver damage, jaundice, bloody diarrhea, kidney damage,
birth defects, tumors, and suppressed immune function.
Botham said there have not been any confirmed health complaints due
to aflatoxins related to the current recall of feed.
Feed Recall:
The recalled feed was produced at:
- Purina’s Statesville, N.C., plant between 3 Nov 2007 and 8 Feb
2008;
- Harrisburg, P.A., 1 Jan 2008 and 8 Feb 2008; and
- Guilderland, N.Y., 1 Jan 2008, and 10 Mar 2008.
Dealers in the following states might have sold affected product:
- Connecticut,
- Delaware,
- Georgia,
- Maine,
- Maryland,
- Massachusetts,
- New Hampshire,
- New Jersey,
- New York,
- North Carolina,
- Pennsylvania,
- Rhode Island,
- South Carolina,
- Tennessee,
- Vermont,
- Virginia, and
- West Virginia.
The recall is voluntary and precautionary, Botham stressed.
Dealers were notified of the recall in March 2008. Botham said the
aflatoxin was discovered through routine product testing performed by
a state regulatory agency, with results confirmed by company testing.
The potentially affected feed products were manufactured at 3
facilities and sold in 17 states (see sidebar). Horse owners in these
states should call their feed dealer to see whether they received
affected product.
“Different dealers got different products, so the best thing (horse
owners) can do is go to their dealer,” Botham said. “The dealer is
really the hub; they’re the ones who will know if anyone in their
area may have received this product.”
The feed in question was manufactured between November 2007 and March
2008, depending on the manufacturing plant from which it originated.
Hank Yohe, warehouse manager and equine specialist at Global Ag
Associates in York, P.A., a Purina feed dealer, said he heard about
the recall about 3 weeks ago.
“As soon as I found out about it, all the customers that I could
identify I contacted immediately,” Yohe said. “But I knew I didn’t
have any feed of that vintage in my warehouse. We turn our feed
around about every 2 weeks. So the feed that was in question I knew
had already gone out, was already sold, and probably was already
fed.” Yohe said he has not received any questions from customers nor
complaints about the products.
According to a statement released by Purina, the concern stems from a
single ingredient, which originated with a specific supplier.
“The product had the presence of aflatoxin above the level of what we
would consider acceptable,” Botham said.
Purina is no longer using this supplier. However, it was noted in the
statement that other feed companies that utilize this supplier might
also be affected.
“I’m not aware of any aflatoxin contamination issues affecting Triple
Crown Nutrition’s equine formulas,” said Rob Daugherty, CEO of Triple
Crown Nutrition, Inc. “Triple Crown Nutrition offers fixed feed
formulas utilizing ingredients that are typically not affected by
aflatoxins like those sometimes found in corn screenings and/or peanut
hulls.”
Some other feeds companies are working to find out the identity of
the supplier to ensure their products do not contain the affected
ingredient.
[Byline: Erin Ryder]
—
Communicated by:
ProMED-mail promed@promedmail.org
[Although aflatoxin can be cumulative, there is a difference in
species specificities. Since dose determines the toxin, a small dose
is likely not to result in all the clinical signs listed. There are
also guidelines, and then there are regulatory actions, which may not
take into account the toxic dose. The dose is very important.
The horse is not that sensitive to aflatoxin. Consequently, a 50 part
per billion dose may not necessarily be a toxic dose. Aflatoxin is
not homogenous throughout a feed sample. Consequently, one portion of
a bag of feed may be hot (high level of aflatoxin, which in this case
is still very low, 50 ppb), and the next bag or several bags may have
none at all.
When sampling, it is difficult to test all the feed. If all the feed
were tested, there would be no product to feed the animals.
Consequently, one sample from a given bag may have aflatoxin in it,
and the next may not. It is not homogeneous in grain samples.
Also, I seem to recall most horses seem to show clinical signs around
the 800 ppb level. - Mod.TG]
[see also:
2007
Buttermilk aka Ranch
dressing mix
This is a dry version that you can keep on the shelf until you want to
mix
it.Buttermilk & Onion Salad Dressing Mix1/2 c. dry buttermilk
powder(Saaco
brand-in baking section)1/4 tsp garlic powder1 tsp onion powder1 tsp
dried
minced onion1 tsp salt1 Tbsp dried parsley, crushed 1/4 tsp ground
pepperThis makes the equivalent of one pkg of dry Ranch dressingMix
with 2 c
mayo & 1 c water. Refrigerate overnight. This is really yummy & you can
adjust the seasonings to suit your
tastes.
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